The Roman Catholic Church needs to
show more "vigour" to increase the number of Anglican priests
defecting to Rome, according to the prelate in charge of a
special body set up by former pope Benedict XVI to welcome
clergy from the Church of England.
Monsignor Keith Newton, the former Anglican priest who
heads the Personal Ordinariate of Our Lady of Walsingham
acknowledged that "more enthusiasm" is needed to increase the
number of Anglican Clergy taking advantage of the special body,
the Catholic weekly The Tablet quoted him saying in a homily.
"We have to be honest and say that the Ordinariate has not
increased as much as we hoped it could. The project was not
welcomed. We have to communicate our message more fully and with
more vigour and enthusiasm," he said.
The group currently counts 85 former Anglican priests and
some 1,500 lay members.
The Ordinariate was created in 2011 amid expectations of
mass defections by conservative Anglicans opposing the Church of
England's decision to begin the ordination of women.
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